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September 30, 2010

FEVER 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson, 2002

During the summer of 1793, Mattie Cook lives above the family coffee shop with her widowed mother and grandfather. Mattie spends her days avoiding chores and making plans to turn the family business into the finest Philadelphia has ever seen. But then the fever breaks out. Disease sweeps the streets, destroying everything in its path and turning Mattie's world upside down. At her feverish mother's insistence, Mattie flees the city with her grandfather. But she soon discovers that the sickness is everywhere, and Mattie must learn quickly how to survive in a city turned frantic with disease. (Amazon Product Description)Review by Gabby, High School Student

I’m not a huge fan of historical fiction. For whatever reason I’ve never been able to really enjoy or connect with a historical fiction. This was not the case with Fever 1793.

I did not know anything about the Yellow Fever epidemic that took place in Philadelphia in 1793. This book sure did open my eyes. I was thoroughly entertained and learned quite a bit about this major event in American history. But the nice thing about this book was that I wasn't bored learning about the history. The facts of the past are woven very well into this story.

Mattie was a fantastic character. She was very real to me. She was relatable, strong, and determined. Throughout the book I felt it was as if I was being sucked into the story and seeing things as Mattie saw them. Mattie starts out as a busy teenage girl working for her mother and having a crush on the local painter’s assistant but her world is quickly turned upside down as the fever quickly devastates the city. You couldn’t help but feel for Mattie and her pain as she went through these terrible events. But my favorite thing about Mattie is the hope and joy she brings into the story.

Mattie’s story is a scary, sad, and wonderful one. Fever 1793 is a definite must read.

2 comments:

Laurie Halse Anderson is one of my very favorite writers, so I mean it as my highest compliment when I say that FEVER 1793 is my favorite of her books. I really love historical novels, and this is one of the best I've ever read. It feels very real and intense, while still feeling like a light, quick read. It's so well done!